Saeko Tanaka
is Ryūnosuke Tanaka's older sister and a former student at Karasuno High. She was also one of the Small Giant's classmates during her high school yearsChapter 78. Appearance She is short and has chin-length, honey blonde hair and four earrings on her ear. Like her brother, her eyes are slightly slanted. She usually dresses casually, though with a rebellious touch, such as black leather, dark colored tank tops or green top that exposes her mid-riff and cleavage, and high boots. She also has two arm bracelets with metal spikes around it.Season 2, episode 16: Karasuno vs. Wakutani South Personality Like her brother, Saeko is loud and outspoken. She has also stated once that she's the type of person that hangs out with the bad kids. Along with that, she dislikes studying, although she passed her college exam on her first try. Her driving has been described by her brother as dangerous as he had once stated to Hinata and Kageyama that he can't guarantee their safety in her car. The second years on the volleyball team view her as a cool older sister, especially Nishinoya, but Tanaka thinks of her as a nuisance whenever she bothers his study sessions. Background Saeko is the oldest child in her family and is usually in charge of caring for her younger brother; she often cooks dinner for him. She was a former student at Karasuno High School back when its volleyball team was at its strongest and was the Small Giant's classmate. The two didn't know each other personally though, but Saeko knew of him and had seen him play in practice matches before. Plot Tokyo Expedition Arc Tanaka and the other second years are studying for their exams when Saeko comes home and interrupts their sessionChapter 73. She offers to help her brother but he blatantly rejects her, saying that she's just as stupid as he is. Saeko argues back with him a bit but soon leaves the second years alone. Sometime later, she's asked by Tanaka to drive Kageyama and Hinata to Tokyo after their supplementary exams. During the ride, Saeko chats to Hinata about how she used to go to Karasuno High and her impression of the Small Giant. She reveals that she once passed by the gym when the volleyball club was holding a practice match and decided to watch it. The Small Giant wasn't doing well at that time and was switched out during the game so he went outside, where Saeko was, and trashed the place around. Saeko watched him impassively from her spot until he suddenly turned to her, and she was shocked by the intensity in his eyes. Even now, Saeko still remembers the Small Giant's expression. After dropping Kageyama and Hinata off, she decides to stay the night to drink with the coaches. During a break from the summer camp, Saeko asks her brother about a Tsukishima on his team, stating that she remembers there being a member with that name on the volleyball team back when the Small Giant was aroundChapter 86. This reveals Tsukishima's past to the team. Spring High Preliminary Arc Saeko starts attending Karasuno's matches starting from the Wakutani vs Karasuno matchChapter 116 and often stands with Takinoue and Shimada, who explains to her the volleyball tactics and terms. When she first arrives for the match, she waves to Tanaka and Nishinoya, much to her brother's embarrassment. Right before the Shiratorizawa vs Karasuno match beginsChapter 150, Saeko notices Akiteru Tsukishima "acting suspiciously" and drags him to Shimada and Takinoue, calling him a spy from Shiratorizawa. This reveals him to his brother, but he ends up staying with Saeko and the others to cheer on Karasuno. Just as the match starts, Shimada, Takinoue, and Akiteru express their worry for Karasuno after remembering that it's Karasuno's first time at the finals–and first time playing five sets. Quickly, Saeko yells at them to not lose faith in the members. However, even she starts getting nervous after Shiratorizawa scores several times in a row against Karasuno, especially since the members are having trouble against Ushijima. After she comments on the members' problems, Akiteru explains to her Ushijima's left-handed status, the reason why Nishinoya can't receive his spikes initially. As the match progresses, Akiteru evaluates the techniques used by both teams for Saeko and would point out things he notices about his brother. When Tsukishima succeeds in blocking UshijimaChapter 164, Akiteru bursts into tears and Saeko comments that he must be happy for his brother. However, he responds that he's just happy to see Tsukishima finally fitting in with his team. Nearing the fifth set, Saeko starts a round of cheers for Karasuno to motivate the membersChapter 181. However, they're soon drowned out by Shiratorizawa's much bigger audience singing the school song. Dismayed, Saeko stops and looks at Shiratorizawa hopelessly. Despite this, the cheers do succeed in boosting the members' morale, proven by Hinata's sudden burst of stamina. In the end, Karasuno wins and advances to the Spring CupChapter 189. Saeko's shown stopping Yachi from fainting as she cheers on the members. Statistics Relationships Ryūnosuke Tanaka She is Tanaka's older sister. The two get along very well; Saeko cooks dinner for him and offers to help him with his studies sometimes, though he usually rejects her. Since the start of the Spring High, Saeko has attended every one of her brother's matches and loudly cheers him on from the side. Karasuno High Since Tanaka and Nishinoya are close friends, Saeko is already familiar with the latter and often compliments his personality whenever she sees him. Since the Spring High, Saeko has gotten closer with some of the members, including the rest of the second years, Yachi, Kageyama, and Hinata. When Hinata and Kageyama had to take supplementary lessons, Saeko gave them a ride to Tokyo afterwards and even bonded with Hinata over the Small Giant. She also gets along well with Yachi, who often stood next to her in the bleachers during Karasuno's matches, although Yachi was intimidated by Saeko's extroverted personality and appearance initially. Small Giant They went to Karasuno High together though they didn't know each other personally. Saeko did take notice of the Small Giant though due to his fame as an incredible volleyball player and his mischievous personality that she has once stated she might get along with; although, in the anime, she says the opposite and claims that he didn't stand out so she never knew about him outside of his volleyball achievementsSeason 2, Episode 4. She once encountered him near the volleyball gym after he was benched during a practice match and went outside to vent. As he was trashing the place around, he suddenly turned to Saeko who was shocked by his intense expression. Even now, she still remembers it. Akiteru Tsukishima They went to Karasuno High together, but Akiteru was in an older grade and they never met. Saeko does know of him, but only as "a Tsukishima guy on the volleyball team back when the Small Giant was around". They officially met in the Shiratorizawa vs Karasuno match, when Saeko accused Akiteru of being a spy from Shiratorizawa due to his clothes and behavior. The misunderstanding was cleared up quickly, and Akiteru decided to stay with Saeko to cheer on Karasuno. Trivia *Favorite Food: Home run ice cream bars *Current Concern: Not a single girl seems to get just how cool her lil bro is! * She's currently making a team for Wadaiko drumming. * Saeko drives a van that says "Karasuno Kitchen" on the front door. It's unknown if that's her workplace. * Her star sign is Taurus. *'Nomenclature' **Saeko (冴子) - Lucid Child **Tanaka (田中) - Rice Field Middle Quotes *"Some flowers can't help but bloom late, y'know." (To Hinata, Chapter 78) *"His entire body gave off a sense of sheer pride and confidence from being the team's ace." (To Hinata about the Small Giant, Chapter 78) References }} Category:Characters Category:Female Characters